US online poker players who were owed money by two long defunct online poker sites — Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet — will be getting more than $30 million of their money back. The US government, via a third party, recently announced it would be refunding “almost $33.5 million.” The news came from the Garden City Group, which is handling the remissions process, via a website dedicated to refunding players’ money. More from the announcement: GCG has been informed that the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Department of Justice (MLARS) has approved a first round of payments…

Scott Tom, former Absolute Poker president and Black Friday defendant, apparently has reached a plea deal with US prosecutors that will see him facing minimal jail time, if any at all. Tom stood accused by federal authorities of multiple felonies related to online gambling, and by the poker community of facilitating a major cheating scandal. According to documents reviewed by CalvinAyre.com journalists and revealed publicly earlier this week, on May 31, prosecutors accepted an agreement for Tom to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of being an accessory after the fact in the transmission of gambling information, for which…

You don’t become a good poker player overnight. A poker pro has so much depth to his game not because of his exquisite talent, but because of the years of experience accumulated in his poker portfolio. It’s the same in other walks of life as well. To become the Best Online Sports Book you need experience in offering top quality sports betting markets and in providing top notch service plays and sports picks. Nothing happens instantly. Poker novices shouldn’t despair though, as there are always some strategies which they can use to elevate their game to similar levels to those…

In an interview with Roger Gros, the publisher of Global Gaming Business, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement Director David Rebuck discussed a number of topics affecting the state’s gambling industry in a podcast. The interview hinted at the possibility of compacting for online poker with other states. A compact with the UK, however, is out the window. Here’s a look at the highlights from the interview that occurred in June: When asked if the Atlantic City casino industry was right-sized at seven casinos, and whether there was room for a Hard Rock casino in AC (which is slated to…

Scott Tom, former Absolute Poker president and Black Friday defendant, apparently has reached a plea deal with US prosecutors that will see him facing minimal jail time, if any at all. Tom stood accused by federal authorities of multiple felonies related to online gambling, and by the poker community of facilitating a major cheating scandal. According to documents reviewed by CalvinAyre.com journalists and revealed publicly earlier this week, on May 31, prosecutors accepted an agreement for Tom to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of being an accessory after the fact in the transmission of gambling information, for which…

PokerStars has agreed a deal to reimburse players who lost money as a result of the recent closure of rival operator PKR. In May, PKR appointed administrators after confirming that both the PKR Ltd and PKR Technologies Ltd businesses were suffering from financial issues. UK-focused PKR subsequently ceased all operations and, as a result, left a large number of its customers out of pocket. However, Amaya-owned Pokerstars has opted to step in and refund players, having agreed a deal with the court administrator to begin the process immediately. In a blog post, Eric Hollreiser, vice-president of corporate communications for Amaya…